I might just give up on raw restaurants all together after this.  The last time that I dined at one, Cafe Gratitude in SF, the waiter (who knew I was vegan) felt compelled to tell me that he prefers to dine on animals because he feels closer to them.

I never blogged the entire experience, or contacted the restaurant management about this, I decided I’d quietly vote with my vegan dining dollars and that was the last time I ate at Cafe Gratitude – February, 2006.

Still, the folks at Cafe Gratitude reached out to me with a sincere apology.  And even after they learned this was a historical incident at a location that has since closed, they invited us back to re-experience Cafe Gratitude, or Gracias Madre.

We decided to accept their invitation and visited Cafe Gratitude’s Harrison Street location on a cool spring evening.  While there are raw foods that many people eat in their daily lives (fresh fruit, garden salads, rice paper spring rolls with veggies, etc), a raw foods restaurant like Cafe Gratitude elevates raw food dining to an entirely new level.

This is what we selected:

• I AM INSIGHTFUL  Spring Rolls (using Chard leaves)
• I AM SENSATIONAL Pesto Pizza (envision dehydrated cracker-like crust, pesto spread & sprouts on top!)
• Tamale (cooked dish from Gracias Madre) – Stoneground heirloom masa steamed in the husk filled with butternut squash and green chile.  Served with black beans and pickled vegetables
• I AM RAPTURE   layer cake
• I AM PRAISING  Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Sauce

The food was uniformly excellent.  We particularly loved the simplicity and understated taste of the black beans, and that has inspired us eat more black beans.  We’ve been soaking and cooking them fresh for the last several weeks now.

The desserts were outstanding.  Most of them have coconut, and I’m not a big coconut lover, but I was very happy with my raw ice cream & chocolate sauce.

The spring rolls made with chard leaves were great, and I especially loved the pesto pizza.  In fact, the only food item we ordered that didn’t impress us was one that came as a side on two dishes, the pickled cabbage.  Aside from that, we would happily eat this entire meal, again.

For anyone who hasn’t been to Cafe Gratitude, they have primarily raw foods with some cooked items on the menu.  The seating at this location is communal, meaning there’s a couple of large tables which may be shared with separate dining parties, and I think there was also a table that seats four.  For me, that detracted from the entire experience — I felt crowded being so close to other diners, as I do like boundaries when I’m eating (as in, that’s my half of the pizza, hands-off!).

We were both very impressed with the raw foods at Cafe Gratitude.  We came away with a renewed appreciation for raw foods, a desire to return to Cafe Gratitude (pesto pizza and layer cake), and the notion of a San Francisco Vegan Food Trek in the Mission.  I’ll leave that topic for another day.

Menu, Basil Cha Cha Vegetarian Bistro, Foster City

I really shouldn’t complain that we have so many vegetarian Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area.  So, let me say instead that we were really happy to learn from the SFBAVEG (San Francisco Bay Area Vegetarians) Yahoogroups list that an all vegetarian Thai restaurant had opened in Foster City, a 35 minute drive from our coastside abode.

Knowing that there was a new vegetarian restaurant in close proximity to us created a state of angst that could only be soothed with a visit.  So, within days we found ourselves hungrily eyeing the menu at the Basil Cha Cha Vegetarian Bistro.

Mango Sticky Rice, Basil Cha Cha Vegetarian Bistro, Foster City

We learned that the owner owns another Thai restaurant called Sweet Basil.  In the veg vernacular, we call this place a “mixed” restaurant since it serves up animals as well as vegetables to its diners.  The owner chose to take the veg food selections from its popular Sweet Basil and create a new all vegetarian bistro, Basil Cha Cha.  The confusing part is that both restaurants are located in the same outdoor strip mall, just a few doors away from each other.

Crispy Spring Rolls, Basil Cha Cha Vegetarian Bistro, Foster City

Food: There are nearly 50 items on the menu — appetizers, salads, soups, fried rice dishes, noodle dishes, curries, and entrees.  The menu clearly marks which dishes are already vegan, and which are vegan optional (meaning, they are vegetarian and can be ordered as vegan).

Now that I’m starting my third decade as a vegan, I often make conscious choices to avoid faux meats.  So I appreciate that Basil Cha Cha offers all its entrees with a choice of veggie chicken, beef, tofu or vegetables.  In essence, this gives diners many more options, as that one entree can be ordered multiple ways.

The dishes can be ordered to your spice preference (slightly hot, medium hot, and hot).  Dishes with nuts are also notated.

Ambience: This restaurant is a step above the typical veg restaurant.  It’s very stylish dishware fits right in with the artful presentation of the dishes themselves (many come with an edible flower) and the lovely decor.  It’s not a large restaurant, so it’s a cozy little place for a quiet dinner for two or perfect setting to share food and conversation with a group.

Seaweed Salad, Basil Cha Cha Vegetarian Bistro, Foster City

Price: The dishes are reasonably priced, with most dishes in the $7.95 category, with a few of the appetizers, salad, and rice dishes coming in at $5.95 or $6.95.

Our Order: The money we saved by not having to pay for the typical parking in SF was spent on food, so we  splurged by ordering food from just about every category on the menu

- appetizer:  Crispy Spring Rolls, shown above
- salad: Seaweed Salad, at right
- soup: Tom Yum Veggie
- entrees:  Yellow Curry, Pad Kee Mow
- dessert:  Mango Sticky Rice, show above

On our first visit, we found alot of the dishes to be spicy, even when we ordered them mild.  When the waiter found out it was our first visit, he gave us a complimentary corn fritter, which we thought was a nice gesture from a new restaurant to new customers (see photo album for photos of all the dishes).  Despite the overly spicy food, we liked it well-enough to return to try some different foods, and this time we brought a group with us.

On our second visit, we ordered the Fresh Salad Rolls (substituting tofu for the veggie shrimp), Massamam Curry (potatoes, onions, and peanuts with tofu and vegetables), Sweet & Sour (tofu/vegetables with pineapple, onion, cucumber and tomatoes), and Mango Sticky Rice.   Again we ordered the entrees as mild, and this time they really were.  The curry was excellent; its base was a delicious blend of coconut milk and peanut butter.

In summary, the new Basil Cha Cha Vegetarian Bistro has both style and substance.  I hope they thrive in Foster City.  I would highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to enjoy delicious vegan food at affordable prices in a pleasant atmosphere.

More information:
Photos of menu and dishes ordered on first visit
Ultimate Guide:  Basil Cha Cha Vegetarian Bistro

Here’s the menu from last week

Steamed Cajun Spiced GARBANZOS~ $ 3.5
Asparaus SOUP w/ Toasted Farofa and Tempura Asparagus Tips  ~$9
Local Snap Pea & Purple Potato POHA $11
OKRA Rasam with Lentil Fritter and Curry Leaf $11
Vegan TAMALES with Pickled Baby Vegetable and Mole Pipian $15
Organic PLATANOS maduros roasted in red palm oil over Mole Manchamantel with Black Beans and Rice  $15
Kefir Lime Merengue Tartlet with Ginger Scented Rhubarb and Thai Basil Scented Strawberry  $9

While I prefer to dine at retaurants that are exclusively veg to avoid any cross-contamination of my plant food, the worry would be reduced since apparently the entire menu is vegan this night at La Victoria Bakery & Kitchen

I spotted this tidbit in the newsletter from the Millennium Restaurant (the one and same iconic San Francisco restaurant).  Thank you to Millennium restaurant for the tip-off!  Below excerpted from their newsletter:

Attention Mission dwelling Vegans!

Well, we found pretty much the same array of vegan convenience foods in the refrigerated section and were delighted to find the Trader Joe brand of vegan cookies.

The biggest surprise, however, was seeing that the Phoenix Trader Joe’s has a vegan cookie flavor that we’ve never seen at the Daly City or South San Francisco Trader Joe’s. Well, of course, we had to go for the cookies we’ve never had … turns out they had coconut, which I’m not crazy about. But Chris like coconut and has declared this the best of all the Trader Joe cookies.  We even brought the packaging home to show our local Trader Joe’s ….

Trader Joe’s has a selection of vegan foods at very competitive prices.  The top three foods that I buy at TJs are:  fresh sliced organic bread, soymilk, and organic frozen broccoli.

Since the economy went south, I’ve been watching my spending more closely than normal.  Trader Joe’s helps me in two ways:  1 – food prices and 2 – easy recycling.

Trader Joe’s prices regularly beat Safeway’s and my nearest natural food stores (NFS) in Pacifica or Half Moon Bay.  Here’s their list of vegan products, and below is my typical “shopping list” for TJs

Fresh:
- organic sliced sprouted barley bread $2.99 (I think this is the repackaged Alvarado bread that sells at my NFS for $3.69)
- vegan chocolate chip cookies (bag of fresh cookies, similar to Uncle Eddie’s, $3.99 )

Shelf-stable products:
- canned organic tomato paste and diced tomatoes
- organic soymilk (64 oz, 2.99)
- canned organic beans (until I get my pressure cooker!)
- Clif Bars (.99 each, versus 1.49 at my NFS)

Refrigerated foods:

-Tofurky slices (1.99 for smoked hickory)
- Earth Balance (organic, vegan spread that we use instead of butter, $3.69)
- tofu (I like the organic “twin pack” Soga at $1.69)

Frozen

- organic broccoli (16 oz for $2.29 – my favorite vegetable – I eat this about 5 times a week!)
- organic corn
- breaded “chicken” nuggets (look for the Trader Joe’s brand; they also carry Morningstar and these aren’t vegan)
- black bean and corn enchiladas

Recycling pays off in different ways.  Obviously, it diverts materials from landfill and can be used to create new products.  We’ve always recycled, and appreciated the curbside recycling that our community conveniently offers.  With a renewed focus on watching where my money goes, I’ve started taking my cans and the occasional bottles to recycling centers for cash.  Just recently I discovered that at the South SF Trader Joe’s, I can bring in cans and bottles and get my recycling cash right at the register.  Very convenient, no special trip needed.

We had a disappointing experience at Planet Raw restaurant in Pleasant Hill recently.   After 90 minutes of driving, we arrive to find Planet Raw tucked away in the corner of this shopping center in the suburbs.  Chris goes inside while I’m outside looking at the menu and taking a photograph of the exterior to help promote them in the Ultimate Guide.

Chris returns before I’ve even finished taking my pictures, as I had to wait while this woman exited, as we prefer pics without people for UG.

And he says they’re closed, I ask why, he says the chef has left.  And then, the woman who was leaving,  interrupts our conversation to identify herself as the chef and just erupts with this litany of reasons why she is leaving, in a very angry fashion, ending with “next time call before you want to eat here”.   Not one word of apology or even acknowledgment that now her restaurant is unable to fulfill its function of serving food to customers, because she is walking out mid-day.

I was totally shocked by her rudeness, and the very anti-customer tirade.   (It almost felt like I was in the wrong for wanting to spend money at her restaurant.)  Anyways, after she stormed off, our curiousity did get the better of us so we went back inside together to ask the staff who that was.  They said it was Valerie, co-owner and chef.  They were very friendly and apologetic, and did offer to try to make us something, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the very un-welcome greeting we just had.   Interestingly enough, Valerie contacted me through yelp (where I also posted a review) and said the staff made a mistake; it was Carol, the other co-owner, who was rude, not her.

Anyways, for anyone else who might be driving a distance to visit them, I just wanted to share our experience that they close unexpectedly, and beware that you may be treated rudely.

Personally, while I do want veg businesses to succeed, I don’t think it does them any favors to hold them to a lesser standard.  For any veg business to succeed, it must have the support of both veg and non-veg customers.

Side note:  This was most definitely our first and last visit to Planet Raw.  I might just give up on raw restaurants all together after this.  The last time that I dined at one, Cafe Gratitude in SF, the waiter (who knew I was vegan) felt compelled to tell me that he prefers to dine on animals because he feels closer to them.

Scallion Pancakes

Scallion Pancakes. Just those two words are enough to completely grab my attention.

If you’re veg and live in the San Francisco Bay Area (anywhere not under a rock), you’ll hopefully know exactly what I’m talking about.

Garden Fresh, a popular vegan restaurant in Mountain View, serves scallion pancakes as an appetizer.  It’s a fried pancake (yum) served with a brown sauce on top of another fried pancake (double yum).

One day, I was at my local library and browsing the cookbook section.   Although I have the world wide web at my fingertips, and close to two dozen vegan cookbooks at home, I do like to occasionally check out a vegan cookbook at my local library so that it keeps them in circulation.

While in that general area, I randomly picked up this cookbook called Quick & Easy Chinese. I was flipping through it, looking at the color pictures. When, suddenly, I spotted scallion pancakes!  Okay, so the author calls them “Green Onion Pancakes”. The picture looks exactly like the scallion pancakes at Garden Fresh.

So if you also love the Scallion Pancakes at Garden Fresh, and want to try and make some at home, go look for this cookbook Quick & Easy Chinese.  I took a quick look through the rest of the cookbook, and it didn’t strike me as particularly veg-friendly.  So, you may just want to get it through your local library.

I’ve read many Dick Francis novels over the last decade. If I had to put a number to it, probably over 25. Yet, this one was a first in two ways – it mentioned vegans, and I actually learned a real fact about a food that I eat regularly.

The story involves a chef who caters two meals at a horse racing track. There is a nod to preparing food for vegetarians and “one vegan who had preordered grilled musthrooms to start, roasted vegetables for main course and a fresh fruit salad for dessert”.

Yeah, I can relate to being the vegan who has to preorder special meals. He got that part right. But then in an interesting twist, someone later dies, and the suspect is food poisoning from kidney beans. Francis says “Every chef, every cook, every housewife, even every schoolboy, knows that kidney beans have to be boiled to make them safe to eat.” (chapter 6)

Hmmm .. well, that is everyone except me! I finished the book last night, and this morning did a quick google search on “kidney beans toxic”. And it’s true, a few undercooked kidney beans can make you sick in just a few hours.

And I quote from the FDA

Phytohaemagglutinin, the presumed toxic agent, is found in many species of beans, but it is in highest concentration in red kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris). The unit of toxin measure is the hemagglutinating unit (hau). Raw kidney beans contain from 20,000 to 70,000 hau, while fully cooked beans contain from 200 to 400 hau. White kidney beans, another variety of Phaseolus vulgaris, contain about one-third the amount of toxin as the red variety; broad beans (Vicia faba) contain 5 to 10% the amount that red kidney beans contain.

The syndrome is usually caused by the ingestion of raw, soaked kidney beans, either alone or in salads or casseroles. As few as four or five raw beans can trigger symptoms. Several outbreaks have been associated with “slow cookers” or crock pots, or in casseroles which had not reached a high enough internal temperature to destroy the glycoprotein lectin. It has been shown that heating to 80°C may potentiate the toxicity five-fold, so that these beans are more toxic than if eaten raw. In studies of casseroles cooked in slow cookers, internal temperatures often did not exceed 75°C.

The onset time from consumption of raw or undercooked kidney beans to symptoms varies from between 1 to 3 hours. Onset is usually marked by extreme nausea, followed by vomiting, which may be very severe. Diarrhea develops somewhat later (from one to a few hours), and some persons report abdominal pain. Some persons have been hospitalized, but recovery is usually rapid (3 – 4 h after onset of symptoms) and spontaneous.

I’ll still eat and enjoy cooked kidney beans. But it gives me a new appreciation and respect for these powerful little beans.

Red Bean Salad

I grew up eating the sad Standard American Diet, consuming animals by the mouthful.  Green Salad was one of those foods, as a young carnivore, that I  liked only when it was smothered with a creamy Thousand Island dressing and crunchy croutons on top.

As a vegan, I’ve educated myself and now enjoy a variety of different salads, from bean salads to green salads to fruit salads.

Recipes for three bean salads abound.  I basically use the one from Peaceful Palate by Jennifer Raymond.

I still don’t like green beans though.  So in my version of a three-bean salad, I replace the green beans with red bell pepper.  In this version photographed, I used both red and yellow bell peppers.

I brought this bean salad to a vegan food party (aka potluck) in Pacifica.  Purely by coincidence, I found this went well mixed with a green salad that someone else had brought.

And, thanks to Saucy Vegetarian, I can make my own creamy salad dressings for my green salads.  For crunch, I add walnuts instead of croutons.

Watermelon Flower

Downtown Santa Cruz is a great place to people watch and window shop.  During my last visit there, I spotted this beautiful edible “flower”.

This certainly gives new meaning to the concept of playing with food, eh?

Watermelon Carved into Flower

Yes, Bravo TV is casting for season 7 of “Top Chef”.  It would be totally awesome to have some vegans on the show who choose BEANS as their protein! There is an open call in San Francisco on October 18th.

Here is the info, taken from the Top Chef website:

Chefs with a passion for food, creativity, a thorough knowledge of cooking techniques and trends and oodles of charisma are what we’re looking for. We want talented, experienced chefs with that flare that puts you over the top.

SAN FRANCISCO
Sunday, October 18th, 2009
10:00am – 2:00pm
The Parlor, 2801 Leavenworth Street, San Francisco, CA 94133

There are other open calls on various dates in  Miami, Chicago, Washington DC, New York, Dallas, and Los Angeles  through November 15th so spread the word to all the vegan chefs you know.

Or, even if you’re not a great chef, it might still be fun to bluff it with your fabulous personality and favorite vegan message t-shirt. Tell them to eat beans, not beings ….